For those who don't know, Doctor Who focuses on the adventures of The Doctor, a mysterious alien who uses The Tardis (a spaceship disguised as a police box) to travel in time. Beyond that it's a bit difficult to really give a good synopsis of Doctor Who. How do you sum up 50 years of television? Without a doubt it's one of the most popular television shows of all time. The Doctor, The Tardis, the theme music, The Daleks, The Cybermen, Davros, regenerations, The Master, even fairly new additions like Billie Piper's Rose have become iconic.

But outside of the devoted fans, I've always thought most people's love of Who is going to depend on their opinion on the actor playing The Doctor. Again, for those who've never seen the show, once The Doctor becomes fatally wounded (meaning the actor has been fired/decided to leave) The Doctor can regenerate, a healing process that leaves him looking like a completely new man. Each new incarnation of The Doctor has their own personality quirks and if you don't like the new version of The Doctor, the show can be pretty hard going. Luckily, most of the actors playing the Doctor have been talented individuals. We won't mention Six.

I know it's probably going to be seen as perverse to pick an episode of new Who rather than the old series, and on top of that, to pick an episode the Doctor is barely in, but nothing in old Who is this good. There's not a lot in television that's this good. The introduction of The Weeping Angels (which I hope will be given a long break soon, we don't want their effectiveness to be lost) combined with the greatest companion that never was in Carey Mulligan's Sally Sparrow, make Blink the obvious choice. Also, it's pretty bloody scary.

Bet you thought I just looked at the pictures!

Of those I've seen (so not Mafia family, people being mean and miserable, that thing about Boston?Chicago?...) a superb Top 25.

An Affair to Forget is simply perfection and I love almost every single piece of dialogue. From Frasier's less than subtle interrogation of Niles about Maris, Martin's entire speech about kids with nothing but a foil and a dream, just after the war and that's just what we need a fourth language! Not even mentioning the brilliant sword play. I agree about Niles too he's probably my all time favourite comedy creation, Hyde Pierce is fantastic. Oh and that 3rd episode which I've seen more than a dozen if not 20+ times still packs a punch, it's the only time I ever really disliked the Crane boys.

A brilliant list Rawls, really enjoyed reading it and got some interesting recommendations, first up is Kolchak.

All of them really. Stuff like Mary Tyler Moore I've been wanting to see for years.

I'm sure there's eps on Youtube. Chuckles is definitely there.

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Ted and Who

I thought you'd never seen Who?

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Really want to see Cheers.

And I thought you'd seen Cheers?

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Hate the Snowman

Evil.

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There's another of those lovely coincidences - some of the de Souza's are replaying and the first one is a recent discussion elsewhere - The Yellow Wallpaper.

Still need to read and digest the list - congrats on finishing

Thanks. If they play on from that point, then they're missing a lot of the really great ones, still worth hearing though. Have you tried The Scarifyers yet?

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Thanks so much for the list, it's the best I've ever read here, and the one that's made me want to participate rather than simply lurk Been a wonderful read, I've bookmarked it for future reference, and added about forty DVDs to my Amazon wishlist on the back of it!

Thanks And I'm going to get myself over there and check out your list this weekend,

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Surely the missing pen or first paintball is the best, no?

No.

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No Mad Men episodes?

Not a fan.

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Watched the first two episodes last night after post. His date was brilliantly awkward.

So you saw the Poker ep as well? I love that scene.

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Found this and the Dick van Dyke show on US Netflix, so have put them on my to watch list.

The writing is so good with both series.

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Bet you thought I just looked at the pictures!

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Of those I've seen (so not Mafia family, people being mean and miserable, that thing about Boston?Chicago?...)

Watched the first two episodes last night after post. His date was brilliantly awkward.

So you saw the Poker ep as well? I love that scene.

Yeah, went from really funny to oddly moving when that guy was explaining the meaning of faggot. I actually ended up watching 7 and a bit episodes today instead of studying for my exam on Tuesday. Thanks rawls.

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I actually just noticed how similar this is to the last shot of the Sex and the City credits.

Don't taint Mary for me. I'll end up having to fill the thread with pics of her.

It's just the way everyone is looking at her after throwing her hat up reminds me of the way everyone is looking at Carrie after the bus passes and splashes her.

That's such a stunning line. I'm even happier knowing it really happened.

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Yeah, went from really funny to oddly moving when that guy was explaining the meaning of faggot. I actually ended up watching 7 and a bit episodes today instead of studying for my exam on Tuesday. Thanks rawls.

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Also brilliant. The whole heckler scene was amazing too.

"It goes you, slavery, then Pearl Harbor 9/11 combined"

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I haven't but the thought of Tennant and Mulligan together gives me nightmares!

When I saw Frasier last year I looked into getting hold of Cheers but they only had the first 6 or 7 in R2. Just discovered that they're now releasing the rest and the complete set is out in October. I'll be getting that!

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So, sir, we let him have it right up! And I have to report, sir, he did not like it, sir.

I know but I like to be able to watch whole shows in a matter of weeks. If there;s any significant gap when I watch shows on DVD I tend to just not go back to them.

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ORIGINAL: MovieAddict247 The fact you don't like Father Ted really suprises me.

I know that by now I shouldn't be suprised when it comes to your opinions, but for some reason I would have assumed you'd like Father Ted.

Ted was 25 episodes of "Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, feck" At least that's what it seemed like. I did pick up in S3 and the ep it when the priests got trapped in the lingerie department was great but on the whole I've had funnier trips to the dentist.

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So, sir, we let him have it right up! And I have to report, sir, he did not like it, sir.

Anthony Newley was a popstar who entered the world of television with a desire to screw with the medium, Gurney Slade was a show that seemed to disappear for years, but the recent Network DVD release of the show has given everyone a chance to experience this masterpiece of British surrealism. The first show opens with Newley playing a character in a regular sitcom. Unwilling to speak his lines, he gets up and walks off set, past the other actors, into the backstage area, past the staff (including a very young Geoffrey Palmer) and out into the world. We then follow Newley, take in his inner monologue, and watch reality and fantasy merge around him.

Finally got it (so I was thinking of rewatching Billy Elliott, sue me ) - but Newley in this (the stance, the face, the glum face - it's Jamie Bell it reminds me of.

ORIGINAL: MovieAddict247 The fact you don't like Father Ted really suprises me.

I know that by now I shouldn't be suprised when it comes to your opinions, but for some reason I would have assumed you'd like Father Ted.

Ted was 25 episodes of "Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, feck" At least that's what it seemed like. I did pick up in S3 and the ep it when the priests got trapped in the lingerie department was great but on the whole I've had funnier trips to the dentist.

ORIGINAL: MovieAddict247 The fact you don't like Father Ted really suprises me.

I know that by now I shouldn't be suprised when it comes to your opinions, but for some reason I would have assumed you'd like Father Ted.

Ted was 25 episodes of "Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, feck, arse, go on, go on, feck" At least that's what it seemed like. I did pick up in S3 and the ep it when the priests got trapped in the lingerie department was great but on the whole I've had funnier trips to the dentist.

Wezzo, just went through your top 200, some great stuff there. A couple that I considered, Bowling nearly made it for Cranston's performance. Slap Bet should have been in here as well. I should have had Are You Afraid of the Dark here somewhere, probably Laughing in the Dark. I forgot Band of Brothers as well. Going through your list has inspired me a little and I think I'll expand this by a couple of hundred, allow multiple entries, and just post a list of the top 500 or so.

Also, I'm up to date on Breaking Bad now. I think if I'd seen it in time, Crawl Space would have been my pick and it would have been higher up the list. Just for that chilling final scene.

Count Arthur Strong (Steve Delaney) is a delusional, mean-spirited old bugger. A never was in the days of the variety show, Strong is still trying to keep his career going, usually fucking up every job he auditions for because of his arrogance and his inability to actually listen to what anyone is saying to him. His greatest claim to fame is (in his words) appearing in Bridge Up the River Kwai, standing behind Sir Alex Guinness-Book in one scene. Throughout the course of several series of his radio show, Arthur has written fake memoirs, broken the leg of the director of a radio play, stolen someone's audition, been mistaken for Arthur C. Clarke, staged a production of Piddler on the Roof and got stuck in a lift while cross-dressing. An Audience With sees him forgetting his promise to organise the entertainment for a fund-raiser, and instead "treating" the audience to a live performance of his novel, The Malteser Falcon. Strong has become one of the great comedy monsters, and hopefully the rumoured upcoming t.v. show (which Graham Linehan is supposed to be co-scripting) will see him cross over to a wider audience.

It's supposed to have been confirmed now, a 6 ep BBC series co-scripted with Linehan, if anyone is interested.

Wezzo, just went through your top 200, some great stuff there. A couple that I considered, Bowling nearly made it for Cranston's performance. Slap Bet should have been in here as well. I should have had Are You Afraid of the Dark here somewhere, probably Laughing in the Dark. I forgot Band of Brothers as well. Going through your list has inspired me a little and I think I'll expand this by a couple of hundred, allow multiple entries, and just post a list of the top 500 or so.

Also, I'm up to date on Breaking Bad now. I think if I'd seen it in time, Crawl Space would have been my pick and it would have been higher up the list. Just for that chilling final scene.

Thank you very much! Cranston is just the best I would definitely like to see an expanded version of your list, would be interesting to know what episodes nearly made the cut for certain shows.